This invention relates generally to electronic component supporting transport carrier tape having recesses, e.g., pockets or apertures, for accommodating such components and more particularly to a component supporting transport carrier tape having recesses with integral component engaging means to firmly hold and support such components for final assembly into a product such as by an automated assembly or mounting machine.
FIGS. 7A-7C illustrate a conventional transport carrier tape 51 for supporting electronic components 54, such as, in the case shown for quartz vibrators or crystal oscillator elements. Transport carrier tape 51 is constructed from suitable material, such as, paper, cardboard or synthetic resin, and includes a series of cavities or pockets 53 at uniform spatial intervals in the longitudinal direction of tape 51. Transport carrier tape 51 also includes sprocket or indexing holes 52 which are set at a predetermined pitch relative to pockets 53 so that accurate positioning of pockets 53 can be determined relative to the operation and feeding of tape 51 via a component filling machine, or a component assembly or mounting machine. Pockets 53 have side wall dimensions that allow for the easy and unhindered support of electronic components 54 within the pocket. In other words, the shape of pockets 53 is generally configured to the shape of components 54 but the dimensions of pockets 53 are made larger in order to reduce the risk of jamming or angular tilting of components 54 in pockets 53, which may, for example, be caused during subsequent carrier tape transport or usage. This is also particularly true relative to terminal leads 56 and 57, which, respectively, may have different contours or shapes and different lead lengths as illustrated in FIGS. 7B and 7C. Thus, the length of pockets 53 are sufficient to accommodate for different lead lengths.
After components 53 have been placed into pockets 54, cover tape 55 is applied over the surface of transport carrier tape 51 by means of adhesion either by, for example, pressure adhesive or by applied heat and pressure in order to retain components 54 within pockets 53 until removed by a tool mechanism associated with the automated assembly or mounting machine.
Because transport carrier tape 51 is formed with pockets 53 having sufficiently larger dimensions than the outer dimensions or size of electronic component 54 contained in pockets 53, it is necessary to remove component 54 from pockets 53 by means of a vacuum pickup mechanism in the automated assembly or mounting machine to thereafter transfer the component for positioning relative to or insertion into a product being assembled. Furthermore, many such electronic components have cylindrically shaped main bodies or have bodies with rounded portions so that after such components have been accurate prepositioned in pockets 53, they can rotate or become angularly or axially misaligned in pockets 53 due to subsequent handling and, therefore, are not properly aligned for vacuum pickup and insertion into product. Therefore, it is necessary to employ a second positional adjustment process to position the components accurately in the feeder mechanism of such automated assembly machines in advance of positioning and setting the components into product, such as, on a circuit substrate or the like. In particular, the components remain roughly positioned in recesses 53 of transport carrier tape 51 and are, thereafter, transported by the pickup mechanism to an intermediate positioning and alignment jig in the feeder mechanism wherein the pickup mechanism deposits the component on the jig, which functions to properly align and orient the component relative to the pickup mechanism. Then, the pickup mechanism again picks up the component for transfer in the feeder mechanism to the site of the product for its properly prealigned and oriented insertion into the product.
Moreover, it is necessary to first remove cover tape 55 to provide for convenient access to components 54 for subsequent vacuum pickup and insertion into the product via an assembly machine. Also, many electronic components having a plurality of terminal leads extending from the main body of the component so that the pockets of the transport carrier tapes are, in many cases, especially designed to accommodate the component leads as well as the component body thereby requiring especially designed and manufactured transport carrier tapes.
It is an object of this invention to eliminate or mitigate the foregoing problems through the provision of an improved electronic component transport carrier tape.
It is another object of this invention to provide a transport carrier tape construction with sufficient security for maintaining an accurate positional relationship of the electronic components relative to their transport carrier tape recesses thereby making it unnecessary for a second positional adjustment process relative to the feed mechanism in an automated assembly and mounting machine.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a transport carrier tape that can accommodate electronic components having terminal leads with different preformed and contoured lead shapes and lead lengths.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a transport carrier tape that accommodates on the same transport carrier tape different types of low volume produced electronic components having different operating characteristics thereby permitting a reduction in product assembly costs.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a transport carrier tape that does not require a cover tape.